Lets see....the level of competition should determine who is the best? Really? That would make Wayne Rainey the best of all time then. Look who he competed against. Lawson, Gardner, Mamola, Schwantz, and Doohan. Has there ever been a deeper talent pool than that? Add to that Kocinski, and Spencer and the only one who wasn't a world champion was Mamola. Ago didn't have that kind of competition and neither has anyone since.

As for Casey, no doubt he was a great rider. But lets face a few facts...Ducati caught everyone with their pants down in 2007. No one, least of all Honda had their stuff together for that year. The Honda Casey got on was technically superior to all the other 800cc bikes on the grid. No arguing that one.

Dani won more races than any other season in his career this year. What does that say about the superiority of the Honda? Taking nothing away from Dani, the only thing that really changed was the bike.

If you want to say Rossi is better or worst than Dani, Casey or Jorge, you have to qualify that. How is he worse? Is he worse recently, or worse over his 800cc career? Over his entire career? I would have to say no, and no. Recently, given his lack of performance on the Ducati, I would say yes. But that's it. When it comes down to it, Rossi beat all contenders hands down at one point or other during his career. Is he faster than anyone else or just better at race craft than anyone else is a more pertinent question to ask. I'd have to say Casey is faster, but Rossi has better race craft.

I agree with Kevin that if another rider want's to be considered better than Rossi then they need to win 8 championships in the MotoGP class or 10 championships in total (i.e. including 125/Moto3 and 250/Moto2 or whatever they're called these days). I know that haters thought Rossi was washed up in '08 but he wasn't and I don't think he is now. Will he win a championship who knows. But if he places consistently in the 5 to 10th or worse this season then we'll know that time has caught up with him. However, I'd be very surprised if this happens.

As for this years Ducati, all of us will just have to wait and see. I for one don't see a vast change happening. I just don't. Maybe later in the season, or maybe next season but not this one. I hope they did do something over the off season to make a better bike for this year, I hate seeing guys struggle when everyone knows they'd be faster on another bike. Who knows. The odds are against Ducati catching up to, much less passing Honda and Yamaha. They caught them with their pants down once, maybe they'll do it again.....maybe, but I doubt it.

why in the hell do you actually think this bike will be a contender? please think? the japanese are 5 fold in power and talent,this as in any other year will be a wet condition maybee! man stop dreaming people!! this red piece of garbage is there to fill in the gap

People didn't take Ducati seriously when they came into MotoGP. Caparossi and Bayliss soon took care of that! With the riders they have selected they have just about every kind of rider and a couple of young hungry contenders to push the envelope and the machine forward. Hopefuly we'll see progress in the second half of the season.

@TalentFan once agains a rather skewed interpretation. By all accounts it was him or me because they sought to cut his wage to give to JL after having won back to back WC. And as for running scared, back to back in 2008 and 9 against JL, Dani and Casey (only rider to defend title in 800cc). in 2010 the year he ran scared he won the first race of the season, dislocated shoulder before second race came 3rd and second in the next leaving him second and nine points behind JL, then fell off bike broke leg (season over). Came back in record time and won in Malaysia and came 3rd ahead of CS who had an upset tummy. Yep scared of JL he was.

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